Bullishdemands respect in Lassie Stakes

In the $10,000 Lassie Stakes at Portland Meadows on November 20, Bullishdemands made no secret or suspicions as to who was the better filly.

Straight out of the gate, Bullishdemands haunted One Fast Cowgirl throughout the five furlong test, hovering outside her flank. Setting fractions of :23 for the quarter and :47 for the half mile, One Fast Cowgirl grudgingly gave way in the final strides to the very persistent Bullishdemands. The two-year-old daughter of Bull Inthe Heather completed the five panels in 1:00 4/5.

Originally scheduled for six furlongs, surface difficulties outside the six furlong chute forced all three quarter mile races on the day to be run at five furlongs.

“Going from six furlongs to five didn’t help us,” said winning trainer Gene Davis. “In fact, it hurt us. She likes to go as long as she can. Truth is, the further we can run this filly, the better.”

A $1,300 purchase, the Washington bred claimed her Lassie Stakes victory in her second career start while also breaking her maiden. She lost by a hard beaten nose in her debut after another game effort, dueling to the wire in that race as well. Both races had rider Shawna Barber aboard.

“It was a pleasure to have Shawna ride,” Davis said. “I simply told her to stalk the leader, but if they give you the lead, go on with it.”
“In that first race of hers, she was very professional,” he continued. “She hasn’t done anything wrong since we got her.”

Owner Michael Radovich was delighted with his horse’s performance. “She is so much better off when you let her run her race,” he said.

Radovich and his wife Elaine had wanted a Bull Inthe Heather for quite sometime, but it never panned out. “My wife just loved that horse and we wanted to breed to him, but we never could. When an opportunity to buy one by him came along, the price was in our favor and we got her.”

Next up for the Lassie champ will be a little time off before looking for a NW2 allowance going a flat mile.